Advocates in Southwest Washington are pressing the state Department of Social and Health Services to authorize an outside operator to open and manage the Brockmann Mental Health Treatment Facility in the Mount Vista area north of Vancouver. The $42 million campus, completed in 2022, remains mostly vacant due to unresolved state operational funding and administrative hurdles.

The 16-acre facility, designed to provide intensive behavioral health care for adults, was originally intended to relieve pressure on state hospitals and expand capacity for individuals in crisis. However, over two years after construction finished, the site has not admitted a single patient. The state’s current regulations restrict operation to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, even though multiple nonprofit and private behavioral health organizations have expressed willingness to run the center.

Behavioral health leaders and local lawmakers have called the continued dormancy a serious setback for treatment access. In testimony and public statements, they emphasize that Clark County and the broader Southwest Washington region face some of the state’s longest wait times for inpatient mental health services. Counties including Cowlitz, which relies heavily on out-of-area placements, could benefit from a functioning nearby treatment option.

Advocates argue that allowing an outside agency to operate the facility under state oversight could expedite its opening without waiting for a new budget authorization. Some reportedly point to similar arrangements in other regions, where nonprofit providers contract with the state to deliver care within publicly owned facilities.

Officials with the Department of Social and Health Services have acknowledged the need for expanded treatment capacity statewide but have not committed to a change in operational control. The Legislature is expected to revisit funding and licensing options in the upcoming session.

The Brockmann campus stands as one of Southwest Washington’s most significant yet underutilized mental health infrastructure investments, with implications reaching into neighboring counties including Cowlitz, where service gaps persist despite new regional initiatives.

Why this matters: Cowlitz County residents often face transfers to facilities in Pierce or King counties due to a lack of beds in Southwest Washington. Opening Brockmann would offer a closer, potentially faster placement option for patients from Longview, Kelso, and surrounding areas, improving both family access and continuity of care.

Source: The Columbian